Examining the Effects of High School Contexts on Postsecondary Enrollment

  1. Black students were significantly more likely than white students to attend a 4-year university.
  2. As socioeconomic status (SES)increases, students are significantly more likely to attend a 2 or 4-year college versus not enrolling at any college.
  3. As students highest-level of math taking and high school grade point average increased, so did their likelihoods of attending either a 2- or 4- year college. The effect was stronger for a 4- year college.
  4. As the number of one’s friends attending a 4-year college increased, students were more likely to attend a 4-year institution. The number of friends attending a 2-year college exhibited a negative effect on the likelihood of attending a 4-year institution.
  5. The average socioeconomic status of a high school proved to be a very strong indicator of college enrollment, although the effect was more pronounced for 4-year enrollment.
  6. No effect on college enrollment related to the learning environment. Variables for learning environment included school morale, guidance counselors, and the frequency in which students were exposed to school violence.
  7. The proportion of students at a school where English was their native language decreased students’ likelihood of college attendance.
  8. The results highlight the normative role of high schools in promoting college enrollment, particularly the role of socioeconomics, academic preparation, and access to parent, peer, and college-linking networks.
  9. This study advances the understanding of the secondary-postsecondary nexus and has implications for policies and practices aimed at realizing the current administration’s promise of providing greater access to postsecondary education for all students.
  10. High school context has a significant relationship with attending college.